30+ Remarkable Gaming Industry Statistics and Trends for 2022

The gaming industry has been growing steadily over the past few years and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Everyone from children to adults is playing video games, and the industry is now worth an estimated $159 billion.

Gaming has become so popular that there are now professional gamers who make living playing video games. They compete in tournaments worldwide, some of which make millions of dollars a year.

This industry is only going to continue to grow in the coming years. Here are 30+ statistics and trends that you need to know about the gaming industry for 2022.

Gaming Industry Overview

Gaming has been popular for many years, but it has only recently become a significant industry. In the early days of gaming, only a few companies made games, most of which were based in Japan.

The first video game console was the Atari 2600, released in 1977. This was followed by the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985. These two consoles were responsible for starting the video game craze.

The gaming industry started to take off in the early 2000s with the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox release. These two console systems brought gaming to a new level and introduced many people to online gaming.

The industry has continued to grow since then. In 2009, the gaming industry was worth an estimated $41 billion. This number has been increasing steadily and is expected to reach $159 billion by 2022.

This growth is caused by several different factors.

The increasing popularity of mobile gaming is the most significant factor. Today's smartphones and tablets are much more powerful than the early consoles like the NES.

The second factor is the rise of the esports industry. Esports is a form of competitive gaming, where players compete against each other for prizes. This industry has grown exponentially in recent years and is now worth an estimated $1 billion.

The third factor is the increasing number of women playing video games. In the past, gaming has been seen as a hobby for teenage boys and young men. However, more and more women are playing games, and the industry is starting to cater to them more.

The fourth factor is the growth of the Chinese gaming market. China has the most significant number of gamers worldwide and is expected to account for half of all global gaming revenue by 2022.

These are just a few of the reasons why the gaming industry is growing so rapidly. With so much growth potential, it's no wonder that everyone from major corporations to start-ups is trying to get a piece of the action

Here is how the gaming industry has been expanding.

• The global gaming industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12% from 2020 to 2025. This Is due to the increase in the popularity of VR games, mobile gaming, video consoles, and blockchain tools on games, among other things.
• Before 2026, the mobile game industry's worth could reach $173.4 billion. (Source)
• Over 2.7 billion gamers exist today. By 2023, this number will be 3 million. (Source)

Video games are getting more recognition all over the world. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular games.

• In the international gaming markets, China and US are the leads. Japan, South Korea, and Germany follow, with drastically lower numbers. (Source)
• The best-selling video game of all time is Wii Sports. Wii Sports, Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart Wii, and Wii Sports Resort are some of the games with the most units sold. (Source)
• The most streamed video game on Twitch is Grand Auto Theft V. Not only that, but Grand Auto Theft has also been the most financially successful game. It earned $1 billion just in 2020. (Source)
• Video game subscriptions were worth $7.5 billion last year. Most of the revenue was generated from video game subscriptions. For instance, Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and Apple Arcade were the most significant platforms. (Source)

When it comes to the demographics, the situation is rather interesting.

• Out of 5 gamers, 3 are male. Today, 41% of gamers are female.
• Men over 65 are less likely to be gamers than women of the same age. Most online gamers fall into the age group 46-60 (29%).
• 30% of gamers are younger than 18 years. The average age of a gamer is 34.

Growth of PC and Mobile Gaming

Regarding gaming, PC and mobile are the two most popular platforms. PC gaming has been around for many years and is still going strong. Mobile gaming, on the other hand, is a relatively new phenomenon.

Despite being the newer platform, mobile gaming is growing much faster than PC gaming. In 2019, mobile gaming was worth an estimated $68.5 billion. This is expected to grow to $152.1 billion by 2022.

On the other hand, PC gaming was worth an estimated $32.9 billion in 2019. This is expected to grow to $45.2 billion by 2022.

This discrepancy is simple: mobile gaming is more accessible than PC gaming. Mobile games can be played anywhere, at any time. They are also generally cheaper and less complex than PC games.

This is not to say that PC gaming is in decline. In fact, the opposite is true. The PC gaming market is still growing, just not as fast as the mobile gaming market.

• PC gaming has generated annual revenue of $35.9 billion. The decline in annual revenue occurred due to the pandemic. (Source)
• Mobile gaming is the largest sector in the industry, and console and PC gaming follow. Mobile gaming generated $90.7 billion, while console generated $49.2, and PC $35.9. (Source)
• Half of the total gaming revenue comes from mobile gaming. Just in North America, mobile gaming content has surpassed $25 billion. (Source)
• The Honor of Kings was the highest-grossing mobile game in April this year, with $274.5 million in player spending. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is the second-grossing mobile game with approximately $218 million in gross revenue. (Source)

The statistics show clearly how popular PC and mobile games are among users.

• The largest digital PC game distribution platform is Steam. Just in 2020, the platform released 9609 games. (Source)
• 48% of global gamers play on PCs. Of almost 3 billion gamers in the world, virtually half prefer PC.
• 21% of mobile gamers prefer matching puzzle games. The second on the list are so-called casino games. (Source)
• Strategy games are the third most popular option, with 17% of gamers. Bad North is one of the most popular strategy games.
• Free Fire was the mobile game with the most significant number of downloads in 2021. Nearly 250 million downloads made this game so popular. (Source)
• 45% of mobile gamers are male. Unexpectedly, most gamers are female – 55%.

Console Gaming Statistics

Console gaming is a type of gaming that is done on a console, such as the Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo. Console gaming has been around for many years and is still going strong.

Gamers who play on consoles are generally older than those who play on other platforms. In fact, the average age of a console gamer is 35.

Console gaming is also more popular with men than with women.

• In 2019, 65% of console gamers were male. Interestingly, 65 is the percentage of American adults who are gamers too. 
• In 2020, LGBTQ+ households were 25% more likely to own a game console in the US than the general population. These households are also 91% more likely to buy a game console in the next year.

The game console has had its ups and downs in the last couple of years.

• The global console gaming market was worth $45.2 billion in 2020. Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are primarily responsible for these numbers. (Source)
• The largest console game market is the Asia-Pacific one. Just in China, the annual video gaming revenue is 296.5 billion CNY. (Source)
• By 2025, global console gaming content should reach $70.6 billion. By 2025, gaming’s live-streaming audience is expected to reach 1.4 billion. (Source)
• The game console revenue in 2021 was at a 10% growth. In 2020, there was a growth of 19%.
• In 2022, the expected revenue is at a -6.6% decline. In 2023, however, it is expected that the revenue generated will be 7.2%.

Some companies stay at the top of the gaming market. 

• The most popular console game in the world is 'Fortnite.' Minecraft is the second, while GTA V is the third by popularity. (Source)
• Sony’s PlayStation holds the highest console sales record. Top-selling consoles of all time are Game Boy Advance, PSP, and Xbox 360. (Source)

Growth of eSports

Esports is a form of competitive gaming where players compete against each other for prizes. This industry has grown exponentially in recent years and is now worth an estimated $1 billion.

There are many reasons for the growth of eSports. One of the most important is the increasing popularity of streaming services like Twitch. Twitch allows gamers to stream their gameplay to a live audience. This has made eSports more accessible to viewers and has helped to create a more engaged community around competitive gaming.

Another factor is the increasing prize money available in eSports tournaments. The largest tournament in 2018 had a prize pool of $25 million. This is an incentive for the best gamers in the world to compete against each other.

As well as being popular with viewers, eSports is also popular with sponsors. Many brands see eSports as a way to reach a young, male audience. This has resulted in large investments from companies like Coca-Cola and Red Bull.

• Global eSports has a global revenue of over $1 billion. In 2020, it generated revenue of $947.1 million. (Source)
• The eSports organization of the highest value was TSM in 2020. Cloud9, Team Liquid, and FazeClan are all worth over $300 million. (Source)
• By 2023, the US is expected to have the leading eSports market. China and Russia are also competing for the first spot. (Source)

The prize pool is one of the most interesting parts of eSports. 

• The largest cumulative eSports prize pool in 2021 was  Counter-Strike. The prize pool equated to an impressive $47.76 million. (Source)
• Over $40 million was the prize pool of the largest eSports tournament. The International dominated this area, even with the 2020 cancelation. (Source)
• The top-earning female player is Sasha Hostyn. Hostyn, also known as Scarlett, earned $430,000 and became the most successful female player in July this year. (Source)
• Over 234 million people view eSports. It is expected that over 280 million people will become eSports enthusiasts by 2024. (Source)

Final Thoughts

That’s all from our side for gaming industry statistics and trends for 2022.

It is clear that the gaming industry is rapidly growing with new opportunities. More and more people are becoming gamers, and the numbers are only going to keep rising.

The industry is always evolving, and we can expect to see some dramatic shifts in how people play games in the future.

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